Sheet-metal panel



March 24, l93.

E. N. WINSLOW SHEET METAL PANEL F'iled Sept. 1lI 1950 `,2 Sheets-Sheei l.4/ .4 WWU/,7F

March 24, 1931. E, N, W|N5LO`W 1,797,706

SHEET METAL PANEL Filed Sept. ll, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Wil 1| U mi i ll l |/f l I J Patented Max'. 274, 1931 UNITED 'STATES PATENT AOFFICEEDWARD N. WINSLOW, OF SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'IO THE MILLS COM-PANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SHEET-METAL PANEL.Application filed September 11, 1930. Serial No. 481,157.

This invention relates to Vsheet metal constructions, and moreparticularly to sheet metal panels which are suitable for, or employedin the production of, doors and par- 5 titions.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a construction ofthis character which will enable such panels or partitions to beconstructed from a minimum number of 10 like or identical units; also toconstruct the units in such manner as to enable tWo Such units to bequickly and conveniently assembled. A still further object of theinvention is to provide means whereby said panels may be constructed ata. comparatively low expense and with rapidity of production and ease ofassemblage.

I secure the foregoing objects .and other objects which appearhereinafter, through the construction and arrangement of parts shown inthe drawings, wherein Fig. l represents a perspective view of a panelconstructed in accordancewith my invention; Fgis. 2 and 3 are details insection corresponding respectively to the lines 2-2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 a view, similar to Fig. 2, show-` ing the units in the positionswhich they 0ccupy` during the assembling operation and prior to theinterlocking of the flanges; Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the units,the other unit being shown in dot-and-dash line and the units occupyingthe positions shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a. side elevation of one of theunits; Fig. 7 a sectional view through one of the units, correspondingsubstantiallyA to the line 7 7 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 a sectional detailshowing a modification of the joint shown in the preceding views.

Describin the various parts by reference characters, and B representgenerally two similar sheet metal units which, when assembled,constitute the metal parts of a panel. Where the panel is square, theunits A and B may be identical in the construction and arrangement ofthe parts thereof, thus requiring in fact the manufacture of a plurality,of single units for the production of such panels. However, when thepanel is rectangular in shape, as shown herein, two similar 0 units (aright and a left) will be required.

The unit A comprises a flat rectangular metal sheet 1 having one of itslongitudinal edges and one of its lateral edges provided with a wideside flange, indicated at 2 and 3, respectively, and constituting two ofthe sides of the panel or. partition. Each of the side flanges 2 and 3is provided with an end flange 2FL and 3a respectively, which end iangesare parallel, or nearly parallel, with the body of the sheet 1, toinsure a closed joint, said anges extending beneath such body.

The opposite unit B is also provided with a flat rectangular metal sheet4 of the same dimensions as the corresponding sheet of the unit A andhaving at one of its longitudinal edges a side flange 5 and at one ofits lateral edges a side flange 6, each of the flanges 5 and 6 having aflange 5a and 6a, respectively, which are parallel with the body of thesheet .4 and extend thereabove.

In addition, the panel A has the metal at the edge opposite the edge 3provided with a U-shaped seat formed by bending the entire length orwidth of the metal at such edge y backwardly upon itself beneath theunder surface of the sheet 1, as shown at 7 and then bending such metalupon itself to provide a flange S'eXtending outwardly parallel with thepart 7, and forming a grooved seat 9 therebetween-see Fig. 4. It alsohas the lateral edge opposite the side 2 provided with a similar seat,the parts 10, 11 and 12 corresponding respectively to the parts 7, 8 and9 of the seat just described-see Fig. 3. The distance of the firstbending edge from the body of each sheet may be varied by folding theedge over any thickness of spacer, to bring the exterior joint at thedesired. 10- cation on the edge; see Figs. 4 and 8.

The edge of the sheet 4 which is opposite the edge (iis provided with aU-shaped seat similar to those just described for the sheet 1, the partsof the seatbeing indicated at 13, 14 and 15; and the edge of the sheet 4which is opposite the edge 5 is also provided with a U-shaped seatsimilar to those hereinbefore described and the parts of which areindicated at 16, 17 and 18-see Fig. 3.

In order to permit the folding of the metal to form the U-shaped seats,the corners of each sheet are first cut away so as to enable the metal,when folded into such U-shape, to present beveled edges at the ends ofboth seat flanges, such as shown at 13a and 16a.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, the inner surfacesof the sheets or panels l and el will be coated each with a suitableadhesive, as glue, indicated at C. A pad D of insulating material, suchas corrugated cardboard, or porous fiber, is secured to the inner faceof one of these sheets, after which the other unit is applied on top of'the pad, in the manner indicated in dot-anddash lines in Fig. 5, withthe side flanges of one unit registering with the U-shaped seats of theother unit. Then, by a short movement in a diagonal direction, asindicated in Fig. 5, the u-nits A and B will be assembled, together withthe interposed insulating pad D. Ihe pad D may, as shown, covertheientire space between the units; or, if' desired, it may be partly orentirely eliminated.

rlhe corners between the side flanges 2 and 3i and between the sideflanges 5 and 6 may be closed by solder or anyofI the well-known metalfillers and, after the units with the interposed pad shall have beenassembled, the other corners will preferably'be closed in the samemanner.

In Fig. 8, there is shown a modification of the invention wherein theflanges and U- shaped seats are formed at a distance from the bodies ofthe sheet metal units. In this View, one of the flanges of the sheetmetal unit A is indicated at X and one of the U-shaped s eats of theunit B is indicated at Y. It will be noted that the joint formed betweenthe two units is here shown as approximately half the depth of the edgeof the assembly. As is the case with the form of my invention sl' lwn inthe preceding views,

two ofthe adjacent side edges of the unit A will be provided with theflanges X while the other two will be provi ded with U-shaped -f seatssimilar to the seat Y. In like manner,

two of the adj arent edges of the unit B will be provided with theU-shaped seats show-n in Fig. 8, while the other two edges will beprovidedwit-h flan similar to the flange X.'

Due to the manner of constructing the parts entering into theconstruction of? each panel, it is possible to construct such panelsfrom sheet metal and with a minimum of expense, due to the fact that, atmost, only one pair of like sheet-metal units will be required foreachanel; and, in the event that the panelsv are to be square in outline,then only one set of units need be constructed. Furthermore, by thisconstruction, I am enabled to produce a flush' panel, which may he usedas a door or partition, and to secure this result by interlocking twolike metal units.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A panel comprising a pair of sheet metal units each comprising arectangular sheetmetal body having integral sides projecting from twoadjacent edges, each side having at the end remote from the body of thesheet a flange extending from such edge substantially parallel with thebody of the sheet and toward the edge-of such sheet which is .oppositethe said flange, and each unit also having each of'its other two edgesprovided each with a U-shaped seat adjacent t0 the inner surface of eachsuch sheet and formed byv bending the metal at each such edge backwardlybeneath the body of such sheet and then outwardly, the flanges providedon the sides of each unit being adapted to enter the U-shaped seats ofthe other' unit whereby the units may be assembled by a diagonalmovement of one unit with respect to the other after registering theflanges with their respective seats. t

2. A sheet metal panel comprlsing a paar of symmetrical sheet metal recangular units each having two adjacent edges, provided each with anintegral inwardly extending seat-engaging member and each ofthe othertwo edges of each unit being provided with an inwardly extending seat,and means whereby the seat-engaging members Qi one unit may beinterlocked with the seats of-l the other unit by movement of the saidunit-s toward each other in a diagonal direction during the assemblingoperation,

3. A sheet metal panel comprising a pair of symmetrical sheet metalrectangular units each having two adjacent edges provided each with aside, each side terminating in a flange directed at right anglestherefrom beneath the body of such unit and each of the other edges ofeach unit being provided with la U-shaped seat adjacent the under orinner surface of such unit, the flanges of each unit being adapted toenter the seats provided in the other unit, whereby the units may beassembled and interlocked by registering the flanges of each unit withthe seats of the other unit and moving one of said' units d1agonallywith respect to the other.

4e., A sheet metal panel comprising a pair of units each having arectangular body provided at two adjacent edges with sides and each sidehaving a flange at the edge thereof remote from such body extendingsubstantially parallel with and beneath the bodyT and each of the otheredges of each such body having a U-shaped seat therebeneath, whereby theunits may be assembled in interlocked relation by entering the flangesof each of the units into the seats of the other unit, and an insulatingfilling interposed between the sald units so assembled.

5. A sheet metal panel' comprising a pair of units each having arectangular body rovid'ed with sides, each of two adjacent sides of eachunit having a flange at the edge thereof which is remote from such bodyand extending substantially parallel with and beneath the body 'and eachof the other sides of each such unit having a U-shaped seat extendingtherebeneath, whereby the' units e may be assembled in interlockedrelation byl entering'the flanges of each of the units into the seats ofthe other unit and by relative movement of the units after so enteringthe anges into the said seats. s.

lo 6. A sheet metal panel comprisin a pair Jof symmetrical sheet metalrectangu ar units each having sides, two adjacent sides ofeaoh unitbeing provided each with an integral projection and each of the othertwo sides of each unit being provided with an inwardly extending seat,and means whereby the projections of one unit may be interlocked withthe seats of the other unit by a movement of the said units toward eachother in a diagonal direction during the assembling operation.

7. A sheet metal panel comprising a` pair of units each having arectangular body pro-` vided with sides, each of two adjacent s1des ofeach unit-having an inwardly extendin fiange at the edge thereof spacedfrom sai body and extending substantially parallel therewith and each ofthe other sides of each such'unit having an inwardly extending U- shapedseat spaced from such body and extending substantially parallel thereto,whereby the units may be assembled in interlocked relation by enteringthe flanges of each of the units into the seats of the other unit and byrelative movement of the units after so i a5 entering the flanges intothe said seats.

8. A sheet metal panel comprising a pair of units each having arectangular body pro. vided with sides, each of two adjacent s1des ofeach unit having an inwardly extending 40 flange at the edge thereofspaced from such body and each of the other sides of each such unithaving an inwardly extending U-shaped seat s aced from such body wherebythe units may e assembled in interlocked relation by entering theflanges of each of the units into the seats .of the other unit and byrelative movement of the units after so entering the fianges into thesaid seats.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my 5c signature.

EDWARD N. WINSLOW.

